Vacuum cleaner



Dec. 14 1926.

F. G. LINDGREN VACUUM CLEANER F iled Oct. 1925 2 Sheets-Shegt 1 JENEFCIR Dec. 14.- 1926. 1,610.384

F. cs. LIINDGREN VACUUM CLEANER Fi1ed Oct. 28 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Dec. 14, 1 926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- FRANK G. LINDGREN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF; TO QUALITY HARDWARE AND MACHINE CO., A PARTNERSHIPCON SISIING F H. .A. LAYSTROM, JERRY ANDERSON, CARL SCHWARTZ, AND JOSEPHHECKENBACH, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

vacuum CLEANER.

' i Application filed October 28. 1925. gerial No. 65,301.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners in general and moreparticularly to mechanically operated vacuum cleaners.

It is an object of this invention to pros 6 vide an efficient,mechanically driven vacuum cleaner which may be simply and economicallymanufactured and conveniently operated.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, elevational view, with parts omitted, showinga device embodying this invention;

20 Figure 2 is a plan view, with parts omitted, of the device of Figure1; 4

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing parts omitted and partsin elevation taken at the line III-III of'Figure 2 Figi1re '4 is anenlarged sectional view, with parts omitted, taken at the line IVIV ofFigure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary bottonii plan view of the forepartof Figure 4; an

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical section,

wardly extending neck 2 tea cylindrical fan housing 3. The housing 3 isclosed at its forward end and is integrall connected at 4 the centralportion 'of sald enh to the upper end of the neck 2. The neck 2 divergesfrom the housing 3 to the mouth 1. -Extending from the periphery of thehousing 3 and communicating with the interior thereof is a rearwardlybent connection 4; open at its rearward end and adapted to be connectedto the lower end of a dust bag 5,. Oppositely positioned on eitherend ofthe mouth -1 and integral therewith are wheel chambers 6; The loweredges of the wheel chambers 6 are flush. with the lower edges of themouth 1. The chambers 6 are each which is secured in the forward edge ofward end of the reduced portion 19 is a provided with a transverse pin 7on which is rotatably mounted a rubber tired-roller 8, the periphery ofwhich extends slightly. below the lower edge of said chamber. On eitherside of the mouth 1 is a depending link '8 which is pivotedat its upperend to the inner side of the wall of said mouth. Adjacent the lower endsof-e'ach link 8 is provided a substantially horizontal slot'8" pfhichextends from the rear edge'of said link. Transversely journalled andremovably secured in the slots 8 across the mouth 1 is a brush shaftfi).The brush shaft 9 is provided with, radially extending bristles 10 whichextend below the lower edges of the mouth 1 sufficiently to lightlybrush a rug or the like under the rollers 8 when the shaft 9 is rotated.Rigidly sccured'on each end of the shaft 9 isa collar 11. The shaft, 9through the collarsl-l frictionally engages with the rubber tires on:the peripheries of the rollers 8 and is yieldingly held in suchengagement by means of sprlngs 8, one of each link 8 and extendsoutwardly there from to abut the-forward inner Wall of the mouth 1. a v

A. circular plate 12 is suitably secured to an annular, inwardlyextending flange-13 atthe rearward end of the housing 3. Integral withthe plate 12 is a rearwardly extendin housing 14 constituting an exten-'sion of the fan housing 3 which-as shown in Figure. 3has a substantiallyU-shaped' cross-section. Jolfrnalled between the cen ter of the plate 12and the rear end of the] 1 housing 14 is a worm shaft 15 which rotatesat, its forward end on a ball bearing unit" 16 and at its rearward endon a ball hearing unit'17. A nut 18, -threaded in the housing 14, bearsagainst the rear end of the shaft 15 and holds said shaft againstlrearward thrust. -A'reduced' portion19 formed at the forward end of theshaft 15 provides a .shoulder 20 which abutsa flange 21 on" the plate1-2 for holding 'said shaft against forward thrust. Rigidly suredon theforcentrifugal fan 22.. ,Transversely joui nalled in the housing--14 isa shaft 23 which bears upon ball bearing units'24 and 25 secured in the.two opposite sides respectively of, said housing. Washers 26 and 27surrounding the shaft 23 are secured to the housing 14 outwardly of theball bearing units 24: and 25'respectively. A rubber tired, largetraction driving wheel 28 is rigidly secured on.

the right end of the shaft 23 as viewed in Figure 3. A worm gear 29,loosely mounted on the shaft 23, engages-withthe worm shaft 15 and actsto drive the-same when driven forwardly, as will be hereinafterdescribed.

The gear 29 is driven from the shaft 23 by means of a suitable one-way,ball clutch comprising the annular member 30, the periphery of which isrecessed to provide inwardly sloping tracks 31 distributed about saidperiphery. A ball bearing 32 is mounted in each recess 31 and isadapted,when the member is rotated forwardly, to move outwardly in said recessand frictionally engage 'an annular ring 33 integrally securedto thegear 29. A pair of rearwardly extending lugs 34 are positionedtransversely on either side of the plate 12 and have pivotally mountedthereinthelower forked end of a usual guiding handle 35. at semi-cy-.

lindrically shaped cover 36' removably engages over the u per-side ofthe housing 14 for closing said ousing.

It will be apparent that the foregoing device'is highly economical inthat by being mechanically driven it saves electricity, or the like,which would otherwise be necessary to drive the fan and the rotatablebrush.

Due to the triangular support embracing the transversely spaced wheels 8and the centrally positioned rear wheel 28 which also drives the fan,the device. may be conveniently operated and guided. By providing aone-way clutch, the shaft 15, which is adapted to be driven by the gear29 in only one direction, will not prevent rotation of the wheel 28 inany direction. I I V The gear 29 is designed to drive the shaft 15 at avery high rate of speed. The shaft 9,being driven directly from thewheels 8,

is not subject to become tangled by foreign objects such as hair orstring and the like.

The operation of the device to those skilled in the art will be obviousfrom the foregoing description.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose lim-'iting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by theprior art.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the character described, awheeled casing, a fan journalled in said casing, a drive shaft for saidfan, a gear on'said shaft having an annular integral ring, a one-Wayclutch element within said ring, and a single traction wheel operatively2. Ina device of the character described, a casing having a mouth, acylindrical housing communicating with said mouth, a fan rotativelymounted in said housing, said housing terminating in a centrallydisposed elongated extension, a shaft journalled in said extensionnormal to the axis of rotation of said fan, a gear loosely mounted onsaid shaft within said extension, said gear being 'operatively connectedto said fan, a oneway clutch associated with said gear, and a singletraction wheel fixed to"said shaft to drive said fan.

3. The combination with a wheeled casing, afan journalled in saidcasing, a shaft in said casing disposed normalto the axis connectedtosaidfan by said clutch element.

of rotation of said shaft, a gear loosely I have hereunto sub-

